NLD: post-match thoughts and stuff

Okay, so it’s the morning after, and I've stated countless times I have no intention of excusing the 4-1 loss, but there is no reason to perhaps add perspective to the result and try to understand it.

I know Arsenal fans are desperate to wipe clean the memory of the 5-1 and last seasons 2-1 which ended their season (deal with it Wenger) but let's get some perspective here. Had we won last night, the game would not have got a dvd release.

Selections and formations

Harry stated, a while back, that the game is fundamentally about the players. No matter the formation. 10% about the formation, 90% about the players on the pitch. To quote him:

"If you have the best ones and they do their jobs, then they can pretty much play any way you want them to"

So no shocker then that when you play Palacios in an offensive midfield position, Bentley on the wrong flank, Gio on the wrong flank, then stick in some debutants including Sandro - who, let's be fair, is not going to be that confident in the side fielded unlike say a side with the likes of Bale, Huddlestone, Modric and vdV surrounding him.

I don't blame Harry for playing the players he played. Rock and hard place. If he's not going to play key players, he has no choice but to play the fringe ones. To be honest, I didn't expect Wenger to select so many first teamers in his squad - and then play all of them. I guess he really wants to win something this season.

I stand by my pre-match belief that a NLD is exactly that and we should never be looking to field a non-competitive side. Fact is, the patched up ethic doesn't work for us. It's not so much to do with out of form players or even out of position players (although that has an influence). It's to do with the lack of an in-house top to bottom philosophy.

Philosophy you say?

Our first team is rather good. Our first team would have beaten the team Arsenal put out last night. I'm confident of that. More than confident. Arsenal's first team? Well, that would have been a full blown NLD, blood and thunder and silky skills. We got nothing of the sort last night. So why can Arsenal play a mixture of youth, fringe players and first teamers and look so comfortable against our side of not so many first teamers, put plenty of supposed quality and promising youth?

Well firstly, the supposed quality is either spent or inept. And the promising youth is just that, but not yet excelling. Simply put. Wenger, the canny s.o.b. and the culture he has instilled into their club means that from top to bottom they play a distinctive style. Players are signed and developed to fit into a style of play. Its all very specific, and although arguably, at the moment (at least in the past half-decade) its not proving to be successful in terms of silverware, they do produce very clean, crisp, technical football. They are still massive c**ts, blatantly, in terms of moaning/diving/non-acceptance of defeat - but what it does mean  is that they can mix and match and not betray their philosophy of play. There appears to be no detrimental effect, although, under-strength Wenger sides have had their arses spanked before. There are limits. The hype is just that.

There is also no doubting we play with a swagger and style. We always have. It's also the culture of the club to play sweeping pulsating football. But what last night proved is that if you don’t play a spine of first team players, if you take key players out of the equation, it all falls apart. It's not so much sweeping, but more sleeping. Yes, Harry did not help matters what with players out of their natural positions. And some of the players did not help themselves (what is the point of David Bentley again?). There was no cohesion or togetherness out there from our lot. Disjointed the thought of the day.

Our players are player-dependent. The system, it works best when the key players are starting. If we miss key players, there is still enough about the collective, mental strength wise, to still pull it altogether. Far too many light-weights, in the head department, last night. Then again, this is just the one game, so I won't be looking to scape-goat. More on Harry and the players below.

I'm not suggesting an overhaul of the academy, re-introduction of the reserve team etc - although that would be fantastic in terms of long term plans. In the short term, if we're going avoid risking key players but still remain competitive, then for starters - let's have some consistency in formation and balance the team out so it can at least pretend to try and play like a full strength first team. This would mean, signing a particular ilk of player. It's not an over-night solution. And Harry - long term - might not have the inclination to work in this way. Levy - wise up and get on it. If anything, the academy really has to start pushing on at same point soon.

Quick-fire player reviews

Pletikosa - Not very convincing
Naughton - Struggled
Caulker - Played well, but clumsy needless penalty. Would want to see him involved in more games because there is defo something about him that would have me think he has a future
Bassong - Meh
Assou-Ekotto - Was fine, nothing more, but you try looking effective with Bentley up ahead of you
Gio - Had to be subbed. This kid must have something if you can do it at international level. Time Harry cut him same slack ON the pitch
Sandro - Debut, NLD, showed glimpses but can't be too critical, considering the surroundings
Livermore - Struggled, not quite ready, even for a lower-tier cup game
Palacios - He's a DM, not a very good one at the moment regarding form, so why start him in a more offensive position?
Bentley - Honestly mate, stick to setting your foot on fire and diving into in-door swimming pools
Pav - No service, is not the type of player to carve out something from nothing

Keane - He scored. Hit the woodwork. Didn't do too badly, but if we're comparing him to Keane of old, it's all a bit depressing. He has lost the mojo.
Lennon - Little room for movement, little effort when the ball was at his feet. Do we need to draft in a psychologist?
Kranjcar - Out of position

As for the swamp things?

Plenty of possession, movement and passing. Didn't create that much though, did they? Two penalties won them the match, even with our complete incompetence to resemble a competitive side, it flattered them. I know, that's subjective. I wonder if Wenger will play a full strength side if he faced Chelsea in the next round? Probably beat them, innit, what with them being wonder-kid toddlers with mental matrix skillabilities. Gooners are really milking this, bless 'em. I guess they have to take what's handed to them on a plate and make the very most of it. At least they care enough to gloat. Take the bragging rights - no argument - but don't kid (lol) yourselves. It's not half as impressive as you'd like it to be. But then, you know that.

Conclusion

Harry got it wrong. It happens. Did he honestly think Wenger would play the under 11's? Whatever it was he tried to do failed, epically. It's frustrating that, say the likes of Gio who hardly gets a chance, gets one but is played out of position. Bentley, who you'd hope would want to change his application to something that doesn't involve him pouncing around like a really crap David Beckham impersonator, failed to ignite any hope of redemption. I'll stop now, I did say - no scapegoats.

If he can learn something from this, it's some players really do need to be gone in Jan and others need to be developed and used effectively. It's a shake of the head from me that Harry didn't follow his own belief about playing players where they play best.

Even so, what with all the post-match reflection this morning, the game changed on the first penalty decision. The chances created prior to that (our chances) were better. So, in the grand scheme of things…don't read too much in it. It sucks losing to them, its never acceptable to lose in a dejectable manner, but that's football.

Roll on Saturday.

The jerking of the knee

I'm not saying don't be critical or angry or upset. It's your (our) right to ask questions and feel aggrieved. You should do. So should the players, and the more it hurts - more so now than similar results from last season - the better. Positive from a negative. No point in wallowing in self-pity. Use it to fuel correction and thus redemption.

We can't afford to be making the same mistakes, the exact same mistakes, at this point in our progression. It's frustrating because its unnecessary. But this loss, the first in eighteen at home, with the last defeat coming against Wolves, illustrates that we can count the bad days on one hand. And of course, it also highlights the fact that both of these losses were hardly expected and should really be unavoidable based on the quality we posses. Complacency is the enemy within.

How many times did we question Harry and the team last season? And how emphatic was the reply?

There's not that much more we need to do to get it right. And that's probably why we feel sick for losing all three points in the manner we have. This isn't the 1990's where defeats like this came about every other week.

Keep the faith.

Are we there yet?

When we lost to West Ham United 2-1 and Arsenal danced on the Highbury pitch in celebration its no exaggeration to describe the day as one of extreme dejection and pain. It wasn't to be. It was all very Tottenhaming, what with the vomiting on the pitch and the illness and conspiracy stories (It was Dein!) and the fact we gave that particular part of east London a proper knees up and another folk tale to sit alongside stories about the Kray Twins and Phil Mitchell's latest breakdown.

We couldn't just go there and lose, we had to do it with a sprinkle of drama and quite frankly ridiculousness. I mean seriously, did we somehow bring it upon ourselves? Subconscious manipulation of fate and destiny birthed from fear of failure, allowing for self-destruction? It was ours to lose and we lost it. That night, just to top it all off, I suffered from chronic food poisoning and was basically sick for 3 days (well, it took me that long to recover). Talk about a sympathetic reaction. Pathetic.

How people scoffed (not at me, I didn't share the details of my personal hell because after my recovery I spent months locked inside my home writing depressive poetry and staring at a canvas with a brush and black paint). They scoffed at Spurs for the blatant choke. And Arsenal in the mean time told everyone who'd listen that their 4th spot finish was never in doubt. Back in your box you go, you silly Lilywhites, dreaming of such things that are beyond your reach. How very dare you. The one chance we had, was apparently gone and that was that. None of the Top 4 would slip up again. Fluke, luck, punching above our weight. All labels tagged onto our backs as we fell back in amongst the pretenders.

What we didn't know at the time was that the EPL elite would begin to slowly falter. No need to wait for further slip ups. The rest were going to catch up because the teams at the top were going to stagnate a little bit. Not in any drastic way, but we've covered this before. The gap between the pretenders and the challengers shifted and shortened. There are probably still only 3 clubs who can genuinely challenge for the title, but its no longer an impossibility to work towards challenging for it. The first step is to be good enough to get yourself into the exclusive private party for four in the penthouse apartment.

We thought we'd push on from that 5th spot finish, and did sort of but not really, finishing 5th again without really challenging for 4th. And then internal politics meant it was goodbye to Jol and hello Ramos. And then one dizzy headache later, Ramos is gone and Harry arrives.

Another hefty sprinkle of drama. And then enter the re-birth. See whilst all the haters sat around pouring scorn on our continued ambition, regardless of what soap opera engulfed our every day existence, we never lost sight of what we wanted.

Okay, so we all wanted 4th spot and CL and people would purposely translate this as a statement that we believed we were good enough each and every season, but again whilst the haters continued to laugh, we started to believe. Not exactly a delusion if you get there in the end. Granted, we spent a lot of money (within our means) but the right balance was never there. The all important ingredients were missing. But if you're not going to aim for something, you'll never going to make the steps in the right direction.

We all know the story after Harry arrived, turning it around from two points from eight games, to one of complete ecstasy up at Eastland's at the back end of last season. All the anguish of the past couple of fragmented decades and we finally kick-start what might be, just might be, a new cycle. As others look like ending or stalling of just petering out, we need to avoid giddiness and continue to push on.

Years of completely shambolic non-progression (see the 1990's) and plenty of stop start transitional seasons (the 2000's) has finally been wiped away with a fairly superb achievement, guided by Harry Redknapp and his hug-and-kick-the-ball-about man management.

We over complicated things for so long. Too desperate for success, without pragmatism, and far too many romantic notions what with our obsessions with the past. The culture of comfort is now gone, replaced by a hunger to want more, to better ourselves. A winning mentality at White Hart Lane. The eternal dreamers have finally woken up to find a lucid reality.

And this is just the start of it. We've got a lot of improvement to be had and experience to earn. And even some of the haters through gritted teeth are now grudgingly accepting that this Spurs side is not quite cut from the same cloth as the ones from our recent past. We're a good side. More than decent.

Not that I want to stand starry-eyed, mesmerised by the CL anthem and our inclusion in the draw for the group stages, but damn, you sort of have to still pinch yourself because the memories of past struggles and misguided hopes (let's face it, at times we wasted faith in teams and players who simply didn't have it in them) are still quite fresh in my mind.

And this isn't a positive knee-jerk based on the comfortable spanking we dished out to the bewildered Young Boys in what was a very wet evenings entertainment.

This is just another statement of intent.

So, let the ones who prefer to continue to pour scorn on us, continue to do so. They said we'd never get out of mid-table, they said we'd never finish high enough to get into Europe, they said we'd not get anywhere near 5th spot, they said we'd never finish 4th, they said we'd bottle it, they said we'd never qualify for the group stages.

Well, stick it up ya. All we have ever been guilty of is wanting more for ourselves, and for once, our team has reciprocated our ambitions.

Lap it up people. There's no shame in smiling.

We have arrived.

The Redknapp Revelation

Harry Redknapp has revealed himself unto me. He appeared and spoke, softly but firmly, and assured me that everything was in hand. He spoke not in a voice or manner I recognised. I was startled at first, but then felt a wave of warm, comfortable euphoria sweep through me. He said ‘Fear not my child. And listen not to what is said. For the truth is thus – we will put those godless fuckers in their place. United, City, Chelsea, Arsenal – Judgement Day is upon them, and soon mankind will rejoice in the Kingdom of Tottenham.’ It was at that point I realised that how Harry appears physically to us is simply his ‘earthly body’. He has to do this; otherwise we would be bewildered by his brilliance. He has spent his time in the wilderness. Many people doubt him, and call him a shaman. But he will lead us to the Promised Land.

Harry has been tested this season more times than I care to remember. And each time he has come through with clarity and skill. I knew he was a good coach, able to organise a defence and get a team passing the ball better than the average gaffer. What I also thought I knew was that he was a man of simplistic footballing views and assertions. And that these assertions would be what ultimately held him back from the upper echelons. More fool me. When Robbie Keane was being sent on loan to Celtic, or Jenas was being basically put out for the binmen to pick up after the Wolves debacle, I found myself double and triple taking – is this really happening? Did Harry really haul Jenas off at half time, never to dress him in a Spurs shirt again? Did he really publicly humiliate £20 million club captain Robbie Keane? Did he really make the calls that all of us implored him to make, but privately thought were a bit too outrageous? Yes. Yes he did.

How many of us, hand on heart, would have gone with the Modders/Hudd CM combination? We thought Harry would be humble, play it safe. 2 points from 8 games. Never had it so good. Punching above our weight. And how we all fell for it! The clues were there though. All season, whilst always playing things down, he quietly muttered that we were aiming for 4^th. Of course, he did more than enough to counter that with the constant bollocks spouted about how good Liverpool are, how far we’ve come, how grateful we should be etc etc. And I use the word bollocks advisedly. Because that’s what it was. Pure bollocks. Harry knew all along that we would do it. Privately, he is probably mad as a lorry that we finished with as few points as we did. Privately, he knows that next season they are all there for the taking. All of them.

He could have brought in a safe bet as keeper (James, Green), but he didn’t. He stuck with the big, odd, whackjob. He could have sold Dawson, or just let him continue having the regular schoolboy panic attacks. He could have let Bale drift as the next floating showpony. He could have let Huddlestone become Jan Molby but without the team-mates. BAE and Bentley have come on so much since Harry and his team of coaches got hold of them. Harry has coached the arses off them, and induced quite remarkable rises in the performance levels of most of the team. Even the recruitment of Sherwood and Ferdinand, when viewed retrospectively, is genius – what PL player has ever heard of old jokes Kevin Bond and Joe Jordan? Better get a couple of flash gits with nice suits and lush birds that the players will listen too. Then sneakily make them better players without them even noticing, while Shersy and Ferdsy regale them with enthralling tales of mindless idiocy.

Harry made many errors this season. Playing Keane and Jenas for too long. Not playing Pav. Getting the left sided choice wrong at times. But on all of these occasions, he has righted his wrongs with startling speed. Once all the debris had been cleared and the engine was tuned up, the team was like a runaway train. And when the hard choices had to be made, he made them. No sentiment whatsoever. Wilson, sorry, but you are not the centre midfielder for the ‘next level’. Thanks, but no thanks.

He has learnt a lot. Nobody knows everything, something that certain other North London managers would do well to remember.

And maybe I’m losing my fucking mind here, but maybe, just maybe, Harry is about to switch on all of us. Secretly, late at night, in Harry’s palatial home in wherever, when Jamie has been tucked up in bed in his Spiderman PJs, Harry lights up a fat Cuban cigar, and sits back in his big chair, Tony Montana style. And he turns to Sandra and says ‘You know what luv? We’re gonna rip this shitty little slag-league apart next season. Wenger? Fucking losing it. Fabregas? Gone. Fergie? Alzheimers. Drogba? Don’t worry; I’ve got a mindgame for that little tart. Lampard? Modric. Mancini? Can’t speak English. Ferdinand, Essien, Persie, all crocks. Vidic is off. Ok, so maybe give me Evra, or that other little ponce who can play left back. And Rooney or Tevez. The rest can fuck right off.’ I’m not saying this because I necessarily believe it. I’m saying it because I believe that Harry is at least 2 steps ahead of us all, and believes in the talent of himself and his players a lot more than anyone else does.

All this transfer talk of Bellamy, Richards and Carlton Cole is rubbish. He is going to sign 2 shit-hot strikers and 1 left back. He knows that there is no such thing as standing still in this league. You’re either going forwards or back. And forwards for us means challenging the top 2. And you ain’t doing that with Craig Bellamy, much as I have always been a fan of his play. Behind the façade that Harry presents to us, there is a disturbingly ambitious and motivated man. Harry wants to prove he is the best. Behind old cockney bagpuss is an absolute beast of a manager waiting to be unleashed.

By guest-blogger, Chrisman.

Injuries? We laugh in the face of injuries

It's time to pay kudos to Tottenham Hotspur - the unit. The team. The work laid out and delivered by Harry Redknapp and the march into battle the players repeated time and again, regardless of depletions, AWOLs and MIAs.

With thanks to THFC6061 (of Glory Glory) who is the (Ledley) king of statistics.

So, why 'the unit'? What made Spurs so special this season compared to previous (limp) efforts? Well for starters, resolve. Spurs have instilled a work ethic and spirit that means if we lose a player to injury, we get on with it, no complaints - with the replacement fulfilling his duties.

Now if you go back to Christmas/the New Year you'll remember all of us (yes, me included) holding our heads in the palm of our hands at the fact that we didn't quite spend during the window to fill the gaps in our midfield. Kaboul? Really? We shrugged. Again, this was a very subtle form of knee-jerk, mainly because we feared for the worst (lose Palacios, and we're doomed, dooooooomed I tells ya). When the reality of the situation was we had plenty in reserve to cope. As seen with the injury to Luka early on. Ye of little faith.

So, exactly what was the damage on paper concerning key players? You hear it from them lot over there in the swamplands telling us how they would have faired far better had they not lost players to injury. Using their logic, we'd have faired far better too. We all know it doesn't quite work like that, and had BAE not got injured, would Bale have broken through etc etc.

Anyways - to the stats. Below is a general overall breakdown, but for all the glory in Technicolor - please click here (and bookmark the site for reference as it's a gold mine of wealth). We've had a number of players out injured this season, but looking at key players, here are the numbers that mattered (but didn't quite knock us off our perch):

(All competitions)

Woodgate - 3 starts, 3 total appearances, 194 minutes players, (46 games injured) - Five game period saw Woody play three times, but has since spent a very lonely time stateside, with doctors struggling to work out what his injury is exactly (and how to fix it).

King - 20 starts, 21 total appearances, 1,637 minutes played, (29 games injured) - Vast majority of the season spent missing games and playing when his knee allowed him to do so, only managing to play 4 games on the trot in the finale to the EPL to aid our push for CL and his England ambition.

Lennon - 33 starts, 34 total appearances, 2,846 minutes played, (25 games injured) - Our Azza missed a run of 22 games which meant various shuffles in selection for Harry as he attempted to find the best formation to make up for the loss of one of most potent creative outlets.

Modric - 28 starts, 32 total appearances, 2,547 minutes played, (15 games injured) - Fourteen consecutive games missed in all competitions. Play him on the left or in the middle, when you lose Moddle you lose that craft and those dinking runs that allows us to dictate tempo offensively.

The Fab Four - 115 combined games missed through injury.

In addition:

Corluka (8 games missed towards end of season)
BAE (11 games missed - allowing for Bale to cement a first team place)
Bale (7 games missed at start of season)
Dawson (7 games missed at start of season)
Jenas (19 games missed through injury across the season)
Kranjcar (6 games missed at end of season)
Huddlestone (6 games)

We've had other players picking up knocks (Pav, Bentley etc) - but nothing out of the ordinary. The main key players cited above (Woodgate, King, Lennon, Modric) - are backbone players, imperative to the way we set out and play.

We got through the start of the season - special mention to Bassong who took his place against his centre-back partner without complaint and has been a quite superb signing for us. The King scenario is no surprise. We know he's not able to perform for us every week. So we make do. Having no Woodgate or Dawson didn't help but this is where people covered and got on with it.

Losing Modric was devastating. Felt like it would be detrimental to our progress. But we shuffled. Niko played a part on the left and at one point was quite simply unplayable as far as the opposition were concerned. He tore City a new one. Then when Modric returned, Lennon got injured, and again we had to balance the side to avoid any loss of cohesiveness in both attack and defence.

Moddle playing a part in central midfield, Wilson and Tommy sharing the other centre-spot. We showed adaptability and application with responsibilities given out by the gaffer.

No squad depth they said? I remember we got burnt after Robbie Keane's comments about the strength of our team on the pitch and on the bench. But across the season, he has had his comments vindicated - even though the irony of him being up in Scotland whilst we took 4th is no doubt hurting him bad.

Every time we lost a player, Harry tweaked it. Bale coming in for BAE for left-back, then shifting forwards to left-flank resulting in a flourishing lefty relationship between the two.

Huddlestone. More on the big lad in the next few days. Stay tuned. But I'll note here that he has time and time again proven the critics wrong and has been one of our most vital players in central midfield.

Kaboul, equally maligned, proved in the end that he was worth bringing back. Yes, he's raw and very much rough in parts. Whether there's a diamond underneath all the dirt, we'll have to wait and see. But he covered well (had his comedy moments) but should be applauded for his efforts. When it mattered, he dared to do.

At any given moment this season, we've had someone key out on the sidelines. More than one at any given moment in fact. It worried us. It didn't appear to worry the team.

The players deserve the accolade. It's a team game and we did more than enough to prove we are a team and one that doesn't crumble or lose heart because we are without a talisman or two.

The surprise factor also helped. Bale's resurgence. Pav's free-scoring goal-scoring stint. Love it when it all comes together when the Gods do everything in their power to test your resolve.

Well done.

Stats, scores and away form

Some stats I've plucked out of the Glory Glory forum from the past week with a little added commentary. Light reading.

Spurs and Arsenal comparison of positions

(2009 and 2010 seasons) after 37 games (With thanks to spurredjon):

2008/9

Arse P36 W19 D11 L6  F64 A36 GD +28  PTS 68

Tottenham Hotspur P36 W13 D9 L14  F42 A41 GD +1  PTS 48  

20 points behind Arsenal.

2009/10

Arse P37 W22 D6 L9  F79 A41 GD +38  PTS 72

Tottenham Hotspur P37 W20 D7 L9  F65 A37 GD +28 PTS 70

2 points behind a supposedly 'improved' Arsenal side. And let's not mention the last time we finished above Liverpool because most of us were not even born when it happened. It's been a season of progression, and it's in the numbers.

End of season form

I love looking at this. Storming end of season, and to think the month of April was meant to destroy us.

W 0 -3  Wigan Athletic    
W 2 -1  Everton  
W 3-1  Blackburn  
W 2-1 Stoke City      
W 2-0 Portsmouth    
L 3-1 Sunderland    
W 2-1 Arsenal           
W 2-1 Chelsea        
L 3-1 Man Utd    
W 1-0 Bolton          
W 1-0 Man City    

Poor performance up at Sunderland, but how often can you say that about us this season? Not a single draw in that list. Inconsistency? Bah! I laugh in your face.

Home Performance

14 won. 2 drawn. 3 losses. 40 scored. 12 conceded. That is just superb. And when you look at the three defeats, the fabled IF Fairy waves her magic wand and shows you what could have been. We've been here before with solid home form, and it's now vital we retain this.

Away Performance

Played:18
Won:7
Drawn:5
Lost:6
Scored:25
Against:25

Won
Hull 5-1 - Sexy
West Ham 2-1 - Dug deep, showed class
Portsmouth 2-1 - Good solid three points
Blackburn 2-0 - Same again
Stoke 2-1 - Showed our class
Wigan 3-0 - Easy
Man City 1-0 - Epic

Draw
Villa 1-1 - Battered them
Everton 2-2 - Should have won it, gave it away
Brum 1-1 - Last minute equaliser from the Brums
Fulham 0-0 - Probably lucky to get a point here, no complaints
Bolton 2-2 - Our record there isn't exactly great

Lost
Liverpool 0-2 - Defoe goal disallowed. We then sort of went a bit limp, frustrating
Man Utd 1-3 - Textbook result for us at OT. One of these days...
Chelsea 0-3 - Did we get a little screwed before collapsing to defeat?
Arsenal 0-3 - Three key players out, gutless and clumsy performance, gave them the three points on a plate
Sunderland 1-3 - Didn't turn up and let Bent tweet his way to redemption, although LOL at the two pen saves from Gomes
Wolves 0-1 - Awful

Had we won 3 of the games we managed to draw...if if if, eh? See how much of a thin line sits between us and 3rd place, even 2nd - based on this season alone? If we improve in the summer, then our success in what we compete for next year (4th, 3rd?) will also be dependent on what the teams above us and the teams below us do in the transfer market. One thing is for certain, we are finally turning potential into results. And we'll continue to improve. How can we not?

There's a certain unwanted quirk we need to get rid of, the type of performance seen at Sunderland and Wolves (we gave the latter 6 points this season...think about it). Ever so slight improvement away and we'll consolidate a top 4 place again next year - as long as WHL remains the fortress it is.

Regardless of us sometimes 'not turning up', when it mattered most. We did when it mattered most. City away. And as mentioned in earlier blogs, the two London derby games against the red and blue scum.

That's what won the day.

Buzzing, just buzzing...

Not sure where to begin. There is so much to take in, I can hardly concentrate on matters concerning in-depth analysis. I know I sound like a broken record, but I always knew we'd do it. I've banged on about it for ages now. I think most of us could see it but could hardly even consider embracing the idea, because in our heads, that would be as close to jinxing it as we could possibly come. This quote from AANP sums it up:

"As a long-time Spurs-supporting chum put it to me yesterday, we’re not built for this sort of thing. Let-downs and heartbreaks we can deal with, but this business of every single blasted game coming loaded with significance is just too much to take"

And when the stakes are high, the faster the heart beats and the more intense and unbearable things are. Which is why a defeat here or there had some of the faithful, knee-jerking. It's a defensive inbuilt psychological mechanism that aids us, protects us from the disappointments. Same old Tottenham we say. And when disaster strikes, we shrug knowingly and then look forward to next season.

The semi-final and the 3-1 up at Sunderland have proved to be in some ways inspirational to the team.

9 wins out of 11 games to secure glory. That's just fantastic. Unquestionably fantastic.

What we've gone and done has made every single miserable moment worth it because this win, this historic moment, is all the better for the pain suffered in the past. Next season? I can't wait for it. Is it small time to celebrate this achievement? Of course not. Considering how bastard hard it's been in the past decade to get anywhere near the Top 4.

So, I'm now going to attempt a match review. This is gonna be messy.

I can't say I enjoyed the match. The experience made me sick. Even with my continued confidence since Christmas, it all appeared to desert me just before kick-off. I found myself shifting uncomfortably, almost not wanting to watch, preferring if possible to lose myself in a trance for 90 minutes and awake to find we've won. No such luck. I had to endure it, and for the first time this season I was actually incapable of retaining any form of composure. I found myself dismantling every nano-second of the game, micro-analysing it to the nth degree. It all played out in slow-mo.

21 wins in 28 games for City at home. But we hardly ever lose up there. The stats being churned out just made me dizzy. This was the £30M/£40M/£50M match they said. Cash Wednesday (seriously, only Sky could call it that). The play-off.

Bricking it big time.

First half, was okay. Not amazing. Something lacked, at least that's how I was seeing it. Lennon and Bale not so much in the game thanks to the constant hoofing of the ball up to Crouch. Our play seemed rushed at times. All a bit too much too soon too little. No retention of the ball. City were having a go. We were just a tad too passive. But with hindsight I guess we were measuring up the opposition. Slowly slowly getting a grip of the game. Patiently waiting for the tempo to change in our favour. Which it did in the second half.

However, the nerves obviously blinded me because a neutral would have pointed out that the game could have been 2-0 either way. 0-0 was good, for us. Just needed to test Fulop more. Crouch unlucky with his effort off the woodwork. King scored. Should have counted. Tevez a menace for City.

I found myself thinking 'this is f*cking bollocks Spurs. Get stuck in, and smash these over-rated ****'s out of their own ground'. Wanted to see a bit of that dare to do dance from the boys in Lilywhite.

Second half. Lennon on a run across the middle, doesn't pass to Bale, shoots, wasted. 55 minutes in, first shot on target that Fulop was made to save. Decent effort from JD. Hudd stamps. Lucky with the yellow. Still need to be brave. Modric showing great spirit and fight in the middle of the park. More action. Moddle getting crowded out in the box. Lennon cross, defended well. Then a cross and Defoe and Crouch stretching…almost, almost. Agonising.

Then the word ominous appeared in front of me in the form of a footballing God, all smug and arrogant, asking me how things were going, before disappearing with a cheeky wink. The git.

I was emotionally dead at this point. And although I could not see it at the time, we were bossing it. Creating chances. And City's flirtatious first half of attacks was becoming a distant memory.

Lennon off, Bentley on. Heart stopped for a brief moment when Gomes allowed the ball to go under his foot. Then we had a mazy mazy Crouchie run. My heart. My poor poor heart.

In the midst of all this, when City did have a moment, we had Ledley King. You know him right? He's the one that isn't human. Phenomenal player. The block from Tevez, just amazing. You shall not pass indeed.

Just before that, Fulop pulls off a stupendous save. Or just saves a weak Crouch header. Depends how badly you knee-jerked at the time. I held my head in my hands.

Then it happened.

Before kick-off, around 6pm or so, Chas (from Chas and Dave, obviously) was interviewed on a London news programme. He cited Crouch and said he felt he would be instrumental in the game. I sort of scoffed. This was before the sides were announced. Amazing In the Know knowledge from Chas. Even though he looked a bit dazed on the piano, he was on the money with his prediction.

Fulop, having palmed the ball instinctively away from a Kaboul cross, deflected off Bridge, finding Crouch and his beautiful beautiful head. Crouch making amends.

Absolute insanity.

Kaboul dancing past Bellamy with ease thanks to a pathetic attempt by the Welshman to stop the pulsating Frenchman. Crouch getting the goal he deserved for his second half performance and the travelling Spurs fans along with every Spurs fan the world over going mental, just mental.

82 minutes. And the dream, the dream was not just alive and kicking but stripping off and about to run around naked, big willy flapping around all over the place. This was it. You could taste it now. Er…not the big willy, Champions League. Obviously.

The ominous feeling was gone, the footballing God appearing before me, no longer looking on smugly, but instead whistling the theme music to the Champions League.

This. Can't be. Happening. What are these emotions returning to my wrecked body?

Wilson on for the excellent Modric. Four minutes of injury time.

Then the final whistle. And years of hurt vanquished in the midst of celebrations. Bottle jobs? That fallacy has been buried 6 feet under. This Spurs squad has time and time again dug deep in the face of adversity and come through it. No dodgy lasagne in sight.

It wasn't just at Eastland's. This CL position was won against Arsenal and Chelsea at WHL. But obviously won across the 37 games played. Even with the hiccups. We have been consistent. Spurs. Consistent. Amazing.

King, so deserving of this. Kaboul was a monster. Dawson, Huddlestone - all of them, every single one of them have played a part. I even thought Jenas movement for the drenching of Harry in his post-match interview was superb. All the players deserve credit. Not just for this game, but through-out the season. And to think at any given moment we had a key player out injured. That's actually scary that. Sign a couple of top top drawer players in the summer and I can see us sustaining a Top 4 challenge again. Which is key to progress, because the next step would be to challenge for bigger things. But yeah, one step at a time...

This (CL qualification) might not be an FA Cup final. This might not be silverware. And history will only remember a 4th spot (3rd still a possibility, but let's not get too greedy), but the significance of this is far more important in the here and now.

We stopped City from getting CL football and possibly consolidating their position in the Top 4 for years to come. The pressure is back on them to go for it again, whilst we can prepare for retaining this position next season. Which I have no doubt we will do. The elite, the Sky Sports Top Four has been cracked. This is massively important, mainly for the purposes of belief and mental strength. A winning mentality. The players now have a benchmark to aim to better in 2011. This isn't a fluke or an upset. We deserve this. And can only build on it.

Qualifier obviously standing in the way of the group stages, but I'm sure we'll be just fine. We're edging ever closer to them lot across the road too.

I'll cut this short now (I know, it's been anything but short), as I could go on and on, but will instead blog more later in shorter parts. Like I said at the start, so much to cover.

I have plenty to say about Harry Redknapp (spot on selection and tactics) and of course Daniel Levy, the man who scrapped the DoF system and went back to basics. From bottom 4 to top 4. And yes, that includes a letter to the chairman. But will leave those thoughts for later on in the week. I'm also looking forward to seeing how the press and pundits react to our achievement. Yes, I'm referring to Hansen and Lawro and the mongs on Gillette Soccer Saturday.

Remember last season. 2 points, 8 games. Gillette Soccer Saturday playing a comedy video of a clown, ripping the piss out of Spurs with various stand-up jokes whilst the panel laughed away. Remember this season, after winning 4 straight games then coming unstuck against Chelsea and Arsenal and United. Back in our box, they said.

You might feel dirty for it, but gloat. Gloat to your hearts content.

What a f*cking season. We've actually gone and done that thing that everyone wanted and everyone else expected us not to do. We did it. And the club shop dvd of 2010 will no doubt be a best-seller.

I choked up at the end. Cried for the first time since Italia 90.

We dared. Congratulations.

I f*cking love football and I love this club. Bask in it. It's richly deserved. New chapter, new adventure.

I've gone all giddy.

Bucking the trend, the Tottenham way

Another game live on television, another game against a 'top 4' side, another potential club DVD release in the making.

Spurs away to Manchester United. The Theatre of Illusions. Illusions usually comprising of us looking like we might do something positive and complete and then capitulating, mostly in cartoon fashion thanks to a decision that was forged in the Imaginarium of Doctor Webb. It's a conspiracy they cry. What about the Mendes goal, as tears are wiped from face. It's tiresome now. Much like losing to Chelsea was once upon a time a bore. And much like going 20 odd league games without a win against Woolwich.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (turn and face the strain).

We got brushed aside by Utd earlier this season, and ignoring last seasons OTT OT experience, we either tend to do well against them but never win at home (Tevez last second anyone?) and flatter to deceive away. It's the last remaining curse that needs ending. Less said about the Carling Cup game up there the better. That type of performance has to be avoided at all costs because it will leave most of us tragically empty.

No matter how you look at this fixture, pound-for-pound, it's a test on so many levels. We've beaten Arsenal and Chelsea, so all eyes on Tottenham because some are expecting to see us continue our good form and upset the Champions. Some (Chelsea) need us to. Others see United as the ones under pressure because they simply cannot afford to lose, which means an early Spurs goal could make it cagey for them (although if it stays at 1-0 deep into the second half we'll still have to score another three goals to be certain of a point once we enter Fergie-Time at the end of the 90 minutes). Harry is also under the spotlight. Tactically, he has been on the money in the past two games and the side have been galvanised with renewed belief and confidence. He wasn't meant to be good enough to out-wit the 'Big boys'. Fergie will no doubt attempt to stop us from playing. How they handle Modric and Bale will be of much interest and how Harry plans to counter any Fergie counters will be equally interesting. One thing about United is they work hard. We'll have to match that. And there's the Berbatov equation to consider. He tends to do alright against us. But arguably both sides have match-winners.

My panties are soaked in anticipation.

I understand the mathematics. With City the main threat, Villa should also not be discounted either. And as mentioned in prior weeks, defeat will not be a disaster (just remember everyone's predictions before we played the red and blue scum). But a point or more would/could demoralise our competition. And if Arsenal and Wenger, hurting badly, look to reclaim some of their lost self-respect against Adebayor and friends - the calculator will be hot with the pushing of buttons. But to be honest, I'd rather City thrash Arsenal and we beat United and then City when we play them and take 4th that way. The closer we get to the red scum the better. As long as we believe in ourselves and not the hype.

I'm not going to attempt to second guess Harry with tactics or selection. Palacios is back, he might play. He probably should but that could see Bale return to left-back and Modric to left-wing blah blah blah. Regardless of the who's and where's (Lennon super-sub back on the bench?) one thing we have proven this season is that we can mix-it up. The players have a decent (more then decent) comprehension of what it means to push for it. 'It' being progress and success. Success at the moment, measured in the way of proving to ones self that we are worthy of our position and worthy of more.

The players have a taste for it. A winning mentality. Only the brave can dare to push on further and continue the feast.

So, this club, this Lilywhite majesty of swagger and grit. Stand up, stand tall, be proud. And just go for it. Go for their jugular and use any obstacle or injustice as inspiration to punish them back. No textbook white flag of surrender. No apologetic here we go again looks. No turning of heads back towards yesterday.

What's happened has happened and can't be changed. The future is crafted by the hands (well, the feet in this case) of the ones who dare to control their own destiny. United are masters of it. This won't be easy. And most would agree, historically, out of the three 'horror' fixtures in April - this was the one we sort of expected to get nothing out of. Most of us didn’t think we'd get more than two points from the previous two. We're six up.

Don't worry or concern yourselves with the negatives when the positives are so much easier to embrace.

Buck. The. Trend.

To dare is to do. COYS.


Update on Friday, April 23, 2010 at 3:36PM by spooky

The excellent 'The Republik of Mancunia' has an interview up with little old me talking Spurs v Utd. Check it out. Click here to read it.

For a Reds match preview, read this.

To dream the impossible dream

4th spot is still up for grabs and mathematically there are still plenty of sides left in with a shout. Regardless of what twists and turns remain to be played out this season - anyone positively excited by the continued evidence of mental strength and belief within the squad?

Of course you are.

We've had key player(s) missing through-out the entirety of the season. We've at times been pessimistic (a consequence of the past) when the likes of King or Lennon have sat on the sidelines, and yet we have dug deep and shown intent and ambition. Everytime we think Harry and the side are about to tune into another episode of 'One foot in the grave', we change the channel back to 'It ain't half hot mum'. The remote control, firmly in our hands, and no longer lost behind the sofa.

I like this new-improved Tottenham. It's young yet has calm, focused heads, maturing through-out the season, but still knows how to sex it up when required. It's all about the confidence. We'll be playing naked soon, in transparent shirts and shorts.

Keep shaking your junk Spurs.

Gomes, Dawson, Bassong, BAE, Corulka, Bale, Modric, Huddlestone, Lennon, Kranjcar, Palacios, Defoe, Pavlyuchenko. Add the bionic-cameo King to the mix and there's a solid backbone to the side. One that is quietly understanding that the comfort zone of yesterday, the one that Michael Carrick famously refereed to, is no longer an acceptable place to sit snoozing in. Players have overcome personal demons and erratic form and have thus united in spirit.

The arguments about still requiring a talismanic forward (think Berbatov without the sulk) will continue to be discussed. Along with various for/against opinions on the likes of Defoe, Crouch and Pav and the fact we don't bury half the chances we create. Others still remain uncertain about Huddlestone. There are tactical quirks on whether Modric is better suited to the left or the middle and if he plays left does that mean Bale slots into left-back with BAE on the bench? Or should the BAE/Bale marauding act continue with Moddle in the middle alongside Huddlestone. Or Wilson. Or Sandro (next season). Dawson continues to make up for what he lacks with pace, with 100% commitment and desire. England? Why the heck not. Bassong, an unsung hero of sorts, growing in stature with every game. You almost forget about the fallacy that we are meant to be crap without Ledley and when he does play you remember just how great of a player he is, and it's 'ok' that he only plays once a month or so.

All analysis aside, the fact remains, the team is in the battle for fourth and our reaction to the semi-final loss has been one of unequivocally togetherness. That's not just the players, but the fans at the Lane - who have played a massive part in the belief process that is required to play out during the past two league games.

Sure, there have been knee-jerks. Losing 3-1 to Sunderland hurt and it's quite expected that some people reacted with the most negative of reactions. Although it's equally apparent that it's exaggerated tenfold in a positive fashion when we win. But nobody can argue about the manner of the victories against the red and blue scum. It's credit long time coming.

Other's have remained loyal to their beliefs and continue to suggest that Harry is still not the right man for the job (the logic here that a better manager would get even more out of this side - although surely stability is the key that we've never bothered to use to unlock that Champions League door?).

So massive group hug everyone? Pat on the back. Well deserved all-round, no?

United away on Saturday will be far more difficult that the last two games. Mainly because Harry has to try and second guess what Fergie might do in order to congest the midfield and stop the likes of Bale and Modric from playing. Unless Harry has already considered the possible tactic from Ferguson and...you get the gist. It's going to be tight.

We could get away with a point. A defeat wouldn't end our season or damage the remaining run-in because we have proven we are not a soft touch. Unless of course André Marriner (the ref for Saturday) is replaced by a bot, remote controlled by Howard Webb who then proceeds to award United a penalty after a foul near the corner-flag to change the course of the game in their favour and then we concede an extra three goals because that's tradition.

Heads down, emotionally drained, wearing our 'plucky loser' hats again? Thanks but no thanks.

It's a tiresome excuse. Although arguably we've not been helped by the standard of refereeing in the past, in the face of diversity, we should be inspired to right the wrongs. No more psychological capitulations. We owe it to ourselves to get past this challenge as another gauge of just how far we've come and how far left we have to journey.

United have to win to keep the pressure on and their title dream alive. We have to win, to compound the pressure on the teams directly below us. Palacios will be available. Lennon - don't know. United, much like Arsenal and Chelsea are beatable. Focus Spurs, focus.

I'm drooling. Can't wait for it.

A United fan pointed out to me that if they do win the title, apparently it will be a record of sorts, thanks to the amount of games they've lost this season. Which is further evidence of just how open the Premier League is becoming.

Now, just think what we could possibly achieve with a squad that skips past potential depletions and injuries and has an extra one or two squad players added for good measure. Champions League would cement and consolidate all the hard graft and stop key players flirting and bring in new players of the ilk required. No old Scottish men blowing kisses in the direction of Bale, Modric and Palacios thank you very much. Not this summer ta. And don't get me started on the project at Eastlands. You can already half make out what they might attempt to do.

So, the players, the manager, the fans...

To dare is to f*cking do.

COYS.

The Prose and Convictions of Mr Harry Redknapp

by guest-blogger Tricky

Prologue

There is still much debate about out manager, so much so that when looking into the ‘for and against’ arguments that rage on even today about our beloved / liked / tolerated manager I soon realised that this article might be a bit longer than anticipated.

Each one of these could start their own ’discussion’, but maybe they need to be considered as a ‘whole’ for once because everything would appear to be related – argument and counter, prosecution and defence.

And also because this is a debate that isn’t about to disappear any time soon (court case pending that is) it ended up being something akin to something more Shakespearian play, except there’s less eloquence, plot, intrigue or purpose and more football, and it’s about the same length. There’s also less men in tights and men playing women (with the exception of Sandra who will be played by Mr Darren Bent on this occasion).

So make yourself a cuppa / organise an impromptu ‘meeting’ / or simply just loaf like the rest of us for five minutes before starting this one (having another screen open and the ‘alt-tab’ function are worth remembering for those with PC’s who work in open plan offices) – don’t say I didn’t tell you!

Act 1 - Pro’s

Scene 1 ‘Is thou fit for purpose?’ – make no bones about it, since coming to White Hart Lane, he has made watching our team not only bearable but enjoyable at times, we play a decent passing game and Harry’s record since arrival isn’t too shabby in all competitions (inc replays) – P82 W44 D18 L20 with a win %age that currently puts him 3^rd on the list of spurs all time managers. Results matter not just one or two games in isolation, but over the course of seasons and so far he’s got them, undeniably so.

But most importantly he stopped the rot (for those that weren’t aware, when he joined we had played 8 league games with only 2 points accumulated – something often understated).

Scene 2 ‘The merchant of players’ - He found a solution to the DM position, as wild and extravagant as it seemed at the time buying Wilson was perhaps the most influential deal he put together. And yes it was obvious, but then again other managers have failed to resolve ‘obvious problems’ before in the past.

So is he more astute in the market place? Well for me he certainly appears to be no worse than Mr Comolli. Other than Wilson we have added Kranjcar (at an absolute steal of a price), Defoe, Crouch, Bassong, Cudiccini, the twin Kyles, Gudjohnsen (who many questioned the need for him, right up until the point where we, err, needed him), and Kaboul (see comments for Gudjohnsen). Ok so he also bought back Robbie and Chimbonda – but maybe they were simply fit for purpose at the time, we were just lucky enough to not have to rely on them too much when it mattered. Just as importantly there’s not too many ‘Rasiaks’ or ‘Rebrov’ comparisons to be had, and he’s trimmed the squad in the process allowing us to save on operating costs leading up to the stadium redevelopment.

It also removed the need for the DOF role, which in turn (IMO) removed some of the ‘player power’ that seems to have had an undertone in recent years (especially in relation to footballers and agents speaking (in)directly to levy bypassing and undermining the manager), it also meant that the manager will now have a team that he has put together.

Scene 3 ‘Thou ist a true motivator, and inspiration amongst pretenders’ – Few can argue that since he arrived a number of players have improved, Modric is well and truly back on track, Lennon looks his old self again (but with a better end product). The Hudd I’ve always been biased towards his potential, but having been given the confidence of his manager he’s taken the mantle of '1st Choice' on well. Hell even Bentley is starting to look like he has re-paid some of the £15million that a lot (including me) had written off on his seemingly inevitable transfer.

 And Super Pav has been nothing short of a revelation since ‘returning to the fold. Whether or not you like the way he has handled certain situations (see Act II below), or how much of it is down to him, the team as a whole have looked more talented and balanced than I have seen for a good few decades.

In particular the midfield of Lennon, Palacios, Huddlestone, Modric early on in the season was perhaps the most perfectly complimentary of attack, defence, pace, skill, passing and movement that I can recall since, well, actually I struggle to think of a combined four that I’ve seen that has been better in my 20-something years of following spurs.

Act II- Con’s

Scene 1 ‘Thou dost talketh too much, about so very little’ - well define ‘too much’, after all one of the criticisms of Ramos was that he didn’t talk to the press at all but sent out a forlorn looking Poyet who would have to justify the actions of his boss.

There is a general obligation by the club to send a representative to pre- and post-match interviews as there is much interest in the game and it is important to the club that these are conducted to gain interest. Harry (like or loathe) does represent a person of interest (be it for controversy or otherwise), right from the start in the manner of the appointment and the clubs respective position and even today as a manager of a club with aspirations, combined with our current lofty position there will no doubt be a lot of press coverage about both us as a club and how Harry as the manager will deal with that expectation and ambition.

Sure I cringe a lot of the time, and true the ‘2pf8g’ mantra did become a bit parody, but what would people rather – too much or not at all? As ’not at all’ probably means that the club was mid-table and our ability to influence anything of newsworthy note was of little appeal or consequence and I quite like the fact that our results have ‘consequence’ these days and for the right reason.

Scene 2 ‘Why doest thou write “tittle tattle” and such unworthy prose for the masses’ – There are two things wrong with having a column in the Sun for me; firstly his job is to manage the team, so what is he doing having a second job (even if he is more qualified to comment than most journo’s, I firmly believe that Managers should manage only whist gainfully employed) and secondly it also adds to the argument that everything he says sounds like it is a gift wrapped sound bite, because it does.

[I am for the sake of not being sidetracked ignoring that it’s also ‘the Sun’, owned by the ‘evil Murdoch empire’ aka “The Top 4’ loving, self agrandisation, ‘sign up now to Sky’ Empire”]

Scene 3 ‘It is unbecoming in your position, good sir, to critique those whom have been “shite” in public’ – Enter stage left Mrs Redknapp. So  Sandra could have scored when Bent missed a sitter, and Harry came out and said as much, it was no less and certainly no more than any of us were thinking. Well boo hoo to Bent if he can’t take some criticism, I want players who can see they were poor and work hard to rectify it, not to go spouting unrequited love for another manager / club on twitter.

And the much maligned handling of Pav? The problem with closed doors is that they are exactly that, the only people who saw Pav in training are the team and the staff for the majority of the time, and in this situation we have no Russian twitter to follow to fill us in, only interpretations and agents talking to press. So maybe it was as much to do with Pav having to know that he was going nowhere that bucked him up to make the best of what appeared to be a poor situation. Then again, maybe it was however wrong of Harry to even respond to questions about Pav’s situation at the club.

Thing is, I ‘heart’ Pav, for the player he is, and almost shed a tear when Pav ‘heart’-ed the fans after the Fulham game, but is his agent is as culpable under the circumstances in running to the press every five minute forcing Harry to comment in Jan?

So the difference between the two situations for me is the outcome, as the manager was consistent in what he said ‘train hard and play well when you get the chance’, maybe the players’ attitudes have as much to answer for as the manager at times.

Scene 4 ‘Thou hast the tactical wariness of a poached halibut, good fellow’ – It can be said that the only difference between a good decision and a bad one is often ‘time’. So if he does / doesn’t make a change that does / doesn’t influence the outcome then he is tactically astute / naive accordingly. The difference is that we as fans and the media have the benefit of adding ‘hindsight’ into the mix and therefore you (the fan) have the benefit of an argument either way, managers don’t have such a luxury, they have to make’ judgements’.

Scene 5 ‘Why didst thy forsake a fellow to the outreaches of the seaside colony, leaving us bereft of options?’– now let’s be honest here, I like O’hara, I think he still has a bright future ahead of him, but in order to achieve that he needed to play 1^st team games regularly in order to improve. Was he going to get ahead of Hudd and Wilson? Well no, you could even argue he wasn’t at the time ahead of Jenas in the pecking order, add to that we didn’t need the same squad size as we haven’t been involved in European football this season. So what do you do? Get him somewhere to get games for a season and bring him back when you need him the following season when European football is back on the table? Plus in Modric and Krancjar you have two players who have the ability to play central mid. So all in all it made sense to me to have loaned him out and it still does to be honest. 

Scene 6 ‘I demand my pounds, messers three’ – And so we have the pending court cases for Redknapp, Storrie and Mandaric, where of course there is ‘no smoke without fire’, isn’t there? It is difficult one to argue against because as much as we’d like to think that the law of our great nation is ‘innocent until proven guilty’, the fact is that the media have replaced this requirement with its own ‘opinions’ on the matter. It’s also difficult to defend because on the face of it someone must be guilty even if of incompetence between the three of them.

And even if cleared, it’s the one thing that will never go away, Harry started his management career in an era when the ‘day of the brown envelope’ probably (or perhaps ‘possibly’ for legal reasons) did exist. So regardless of the outcome of the result of the court case it will forever follow him around and consequently there are those that will (perhaps illogically considering the nature of our own Dear Mr Levy) suggest that current transfers and other aspects of his management (other than winning) are related to pure financial gain.

Scene 7 ‘My kingdom for a seat’– So Harry doesn’t stand up sometime. Is this not simply a case of reading too much ‘context’ into situations, have we started believing what we read, in the press and also indeed on blogs, as to what his reaction to anything in particular means? With analysing everything to the Nth degree there’s always a danger of bias by any one person (I’m aware of the fact that it also includes me). Not sure here on this particular facet, maybe one of his lackies (see below) is there to do that for him.

Scene 8 ‘You sir, surround yourself with nomads and vagabonds’ – ‘Jobs for the boys’? Well, err yes it would appear so, but on the evidence so far they aren’t doing too shabby a job. OK we don’t have to like them, but if they can improve the players then that’s surely all they have to do. I, like many others, would rather have Lineker working with Defoe than Ferdinand, but then again as Defoe is already on 17 goals for the season in the league maybe I shouldn’t complain too much.

Scene 9 ‘Why dist thou appear in those ‘Wii’ adverts?’ – yeah, well, I can’t defend the un-defendable really can I?

Act 3 - Epilogue (much ado about nothing)

NB. This is the bit you can ignore and go straight to comment as it is only my opinion.

A fellow spurs acquaintance of mine refers to Harry as ‘limited’ and I would not disagree. He does have his limitations and, for me, is not the long term future for THFC, as he will not be around long term (5 - 10 years) to build up a squad. We already know this because Harry’s not getting any younger and he already has his retirement home on Sandbanks with the kids and grandchildren nearby, and his Wii of course. So if he passes it over to the next ‘caretaker’ with a more balanced squad and in better shape than when he arrived then that’s fine by me and thanks for the memories.

However, it should be recognised that Harry has been and continues to be ‘fit for purpose’, coming off the back of a period whereby stability was what was required by the club. He has more than adequately provided that basis for improvement. His record in both the league and Cups stacks up well since arriving, if anything he has got a bit lucky on a few occasions as consequently has perhaps over-performed. But as one of many adages goes ‘sometimes in football you don’t have to be a good manager, just a lucky one.

The problem he will have to face now is dealing with an elevated sense of ‘expectation’ of ‘us' the fans and financiers of THFC. Our team are currently 4^th in the league and in the semi of the FA cup. Do I think we will win the cup and finish in our current position? Well this has already been well covered, and so I have to stick with my previous position, no I can see us getting to the final and losing and then finishing 5^th or 6^th, but would dearly love to be proven wrong.

So what if we do finish without any cup, but do get European football next season with a top 6 finish? Well, I for one would have taken that at the start of the season, and so the benefit of ‘time’ and ‘hindsight’ strikes again it would seem...

'Bring me the head of Harry Redknapp'

Are people really calling for the head of Harry Redknapp to be served up on a plate with side salad and chips?

Apparently so. There was an article over at Football 365 that cited Guus Hiddink as a replacement (irony of Hiddink and his prior tax issues not lost on me). Are we doing it again? We're a point off 4th not struggling in the bottom three. Harry hasn't even had a full season in charge of the team yet. I know there were reasons for not wanting him in the first place, many to do with his general persona, self-centred priorities, West Ham connections, the fact he would probably up and leave if someone 'bigger' came in for him. And there are questions over his lack of tactical cutting edge to truly make battle with the Prem's disjointed elite. However - arguably - this is the first time he's been at a club of this type of stature. So perhaps he has a learning curve to get through before things even out for him. If he fails to prove he can manipulate the outcome of games with clever switches and substitutions - then the only person who will matter is Levy because he'll have to look at bringing in someone who aspires for absolute perfection (love to know where we can pick one up from).

Let's face it, if this current run of form is considered a 'crisis' then bloody hell, I wouldn't shrug at a couple of these a season if this is as bad as it gets. Think back not too long ago and compare.

Yep. Exactly. Not so depressing now is it?

I know that if we want a team that can seriously compete, then we need a winners mentality - one that is not drowned in self-pity and excuses. So I understand that accepting this current lull is not the way forward - but let's face it. We just don't have the right balance of players. Far too many apologetic personalities who seem to switch off far too easily. Too many remnants of the Tottenham disease remain dormant within the club. The comfort culture has yet to be eradicated.

I do agree there is plenty to suggest Redknapp is not the man with the tools to exterminate every last infestation. But his early work at Spurs is evidence enough that he can inspire and muster up spirit and pride.

Things are not quite right at the minute but they're a long way off from being disastrous, and with 12 games left and 3 additional more required for a potential Wembley trip - we can't frown and start throwing our season tickets at the directors box just yet (I'll give word for when to do so).

There is no room for another sideways step. Consistency and avoidance of another transitional season is of the utmost importance. Otherwise, what's the point? Knee-jerking at the first sign of trouble is truly the most gutless of solutions and will simply set us back, again.

Maybe fans need a fix every couple of seasons. People find it easier to cope with disappointment when there is a brand new start made, one that begins with a new face at the helm. Patience is not a valuable commodity in modern day football and cutting our losses and re-booting seems to get everyone up for yet another journey/adventure. Like a tap of a vein and the roll back of eyes, we get high off it.

Stability is holding the hand of patience, lost and without a compass. I personally think Harry can bring that stability to the club

If Harry doesn't quite make things work (this season or next or because of matters of a non-footballing nature) the issue at hand will be altogether a completely different type of beast. Considering we'd have tried everything (ex-legends, continental, back to basics - to name a few) the only remaining option would be Jack the Ripper. Someone to expertly rip out the guts. Last thing we need is someone who appeases the current batch. I'd love to see a manager at Spurs, in his first press conference, sit down and state 'this was a big club, it isn't anymore' rather than talk us up and quote the Glory days and how we deserve to be successful.

Can we start to write history than simply quote it all the time? I continue to live in hope.

There are many other clubs that aspire to break up the monopoly. They’ve probably not spent as much money as we have. But the fact remains - Rome wasn't built in a day. And it’s a sad fact, breaking the top 4 is not an easy task. As long as were knocking on its door then we're doing something right. Putting our foot through it is the next step forwards. Whether it's Harry's…we'll have to wait and see.

It seems when we were doing very well everyone was happy to support him and shout that he could possibly lead us to the Holy Grail. If Harry was simply a quick-fix interim who saved us from relegation, then let's just play out the season first before we pass further judgement. Support him and our fragmented team until the very end.

It's not over yet. The moment it is, I'll let you know. I'll be selling Redknapp effigies outside the ground for you to string up to your hearts content.

'Run around a lot and kick it in the net' - that doesn't seem to work anymore

It's manifested itself once again. The Tottenham disease. Pivotal moment in the season, and there it is, laughing in our face as our season falls apart faster than someone with leprosy. What a shambolic mess of a performance that was. Okay, so that doesn't happen often. We've had a decent season - more than decent in fact. We've played well and looked the part for most of it - however, that doesn't mean we can shrug and ignore the fact that as a team - with functioning parts - we've degraded over the past couple of months. Spark, cohesion lost in the midst of battle. To lose 6 points to Wolves is a statement. One of depression I'm afraid. We've got it wrong again. How did we become so one dimensional? We're not even digging deep and claiming scrappy/lucky points.

This isn't a knee jerk by the way. I've been confident and positive all season. Well for most of it. But games like this can't be marked off as one-offs. If we're going to be toothless we may as well just hope we finish outside of the Europa League qualifying position so that we can give it a right old go at 4th next season. Ah, 'next season'…music to my ears.

So what exactly went wrong?

Team selection for starters. Why chop and change? I understand we have a squad and we should be able to do so and perhaps Harry trusted his players to be professional but considering how we've struggled in recent games to put away chances, I don't think this was the game to shuffle. Palacios, Modric and Corluka all on the bench. Rested for  the FA Cup game? Worth it?

Kaboul slotted into right-back. And what we witnessed was perhaps one of the most shocking displays from any Spurs player since, well since the last time Kaboul was here. Allow me to be insightful with some analytical thoughts on his performance.

He was fucking shit.

We've gone from having an abundance of right-backs, to one quality right-back who gets benched for a centre-back who IS NOT A SODDING RIGHT BACK.

And then, there's JJ. Monstrously poor. More lost than Jack Shepherd.

Can we not, for once, play the best team possible and not play players for the sake of it? If this was genuinely the best side Harry could muster up then shame on all the players for having less application than a ZX80. The fact he subbed Jenas in the second half more or less clears that one up. Give it up, he's just not very good so don't start him in the first place. It's detrimental to progression.

Dawson and Bassong struggled a little, no doubt the sight of Kaboul was too much for them to handle.

Niko was disappointing. Almost liked he peaked for 3/4 games and then run out of steam. He seems to lack the composure of earlier games. Okay, so he was dropped - but come on, is it too much to ask to have players who can retain a decent standard of form when involved in squad rotation? Harry needs to earn his wage here and get Niko's head sorted out. Quickly.

Gudjohnsen was okay. Nothing more but then again our forward play was abysmal. When we created chances early on, we failed to build on it in a commanding manner. Again. No bullish determined forcefulness.

Then we Just sort of watched them cross (Kaboul was putting the kettle on at the time) and score and then they proceeded to sit back and defend. Which is nothing to complain about from their perspective. They are Wolves, they're meant to be relegation fodder and might Spurs managed to simply make the art of scoring a goal look impossible. This was proper failing to break out of a paper bag football. If we are head and shoulders better than them quality wise, we didn't show it.

Wolves have managed just 9 goals (10 including last night) all season long at home. We managed 9 for a single dvd. Baby Jesus is weeping.

Second half was so tragic that I turned it off with 20 minutes left and decided that I'd rather be confused and left scratching my head watching Kate run around in two different realities in the third episode of Lost (season 6). Thought the ep was 'filler' IMO. One or two subtle moments and clues but nothing ground-breakingly 'ooh'. Considering it's the final season I hope we don't get more episodes of this ilk. Sawyer crying? I mean seriously, wtf?

So once more, another 'must win game' and we flop spectacularly. It wasn't because the opposition outplayed us or tactically out-smarted us. We choked. Bottled it.

12 games left now. And I'm stripping away any hope of 4th and just hope the team give it 100% from here on in because they owe it to us and themselves to try and claw back some respectability. When we look back on this season - if it turns out the way its looking at the moment - it's not so much one game (this game) that has ended hopes but more a collection of performances, mainly the ones were points were dropped at home and from winning positions away. And the crux has been our inability to kill teams off and more telling, to actually break teams down.

The Wolves game last night was neither of these. It was an old unwanted sickness we thought we'd seen the last of. Just a gutless pathetic 90 minutes. We probably won't play this bad again this season, but the fact we did - at this point in the season - it's just so typical and tbh, tiresome.

I still think were not far off from getting it right. The problem is, the standard will probably improve next season which means even though we might improve - it might not be enough.

What a crap midweek. Harry ballsed it up. Roll on FA Cup weekend.

P.S. I'm still loving Bale and Bentley.